Annual Report 2011

In 2011 we finished one of the largest internal projects that we have ever worked on and it fundamentally changed our organization. The funny thing about this project is that it happened in spurts, without a clear work plan or timeline. The project was guided by ideas and although there were very few hard costs, it happened with the input of 100s of people and through the work of staff and key volunteers. The final tangible product was a new website (launched in April 2011); however, it is the less tangible shift in organizational culture that is the true victory.

We still have job titles, and skill sets, but our culture has become much more democratic with people participating in aspects of the organization that in the past may have been left to smaller, closed groups. We have also seen people grow their skills and step into new territory building a culture of experimentation, honesty and personal accountability. And as an organization our work has gotten better. We are more coordinated, integrated, internally networked. We have reduced redundancy making our action/reaction time quicker. We have also become much more focused and clear on our mandate.

Without these core changes to our internal culture, a new website, would have just been an empty piece of technology wrapped in a beautiful package. As it stands our new website is the centre of our organization, full of stories, personalities, victories, and connections. It is open, experimental, and evolving. It is exactly what Pivot needs to be.